


Faction Fractals

by trudarling



Category: Divergent Series - Veronica Roth, Frozen (2013), Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-03
Updated: 2015-11-01
Packaged: 2018-01-17 22:02:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1404067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trudarling/pseuds/trudarling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the day of the Aptitude Test for the sixteen year-olds of Chicago and Elsa Arendalle of Abnegation gets a result that could put her life into risk. Now she must choose between remaining with her own faction or taking a different direction in her life, which might just do her good. One choice can transform her and it could be either for the better or for the worse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> First of all, I would like to thank jipzuru of Tumblr for giving me the inspiration with her Jelsa Divergent!AU fan art to make this fic and secondly, before we begin with this fic, in case you do not have the slightest clue with Divergent, or if you want to understand the story of this fic better, I reccommend that you watch the movie version of Divergent first (or if you have enough time, read the book as well). Trust me, it's going to make your reading experience better.
> 
> Also, if anyone's wondering why the name of the Queen of Arendalle in this fic is Ithunn and the name of the King is Akthar, someone in Tumblr decoded what was written in their crypts and the angelicized version of those things written are Ithunn and Akthar (although for the king's name, there's another translation).

"Elsa, the test didn't work on you."

"What did you mean by the test _did not_ work on me? We were supposed to trust the test!"

"Your test results are inconclusive...they call it _Divergent_."

The moment Elsa heard the words "the test didn't work on you" and "your test results are inconclusive", she could not help but sink into silence, and into fear. _How could the test not work on me?_ , she thought to herself. From what she has known based on what she has heard from previous choosing ceremonies, everyone had a faction to go into, and from what she has learned in her classes on General Faction Education, it stated that the aptitude test would tell you which faction you would belong into, but it never says that there's a chance it will never work on you.

"And you cannot tell anyone about your results, not even your family. Tell your parents I sent you home because the aptitude test made you sick."

Elsa was left speechless shortly after the test administrator spoke to her. No one knows what the implications of being a Divergent is and no one is even aware with the existence of Divergence. 

"The only thing I can suggest you is that you hide in a new faction tomorrow on Choosing Day. Use the option of being able to choose your own faction even if it's not on your results as an advantage. They don't ask you if it's your result or not, they assume for most part."

Better. Elsa is feeling better now. Slightly better to be exact. At least she'll be able to conceal her Divergence partly with the fact that she can _actually_ pick factions at her own will. But she still feels a bit of fear with the aftermath the moment people find out that she's Divergent.

_Conceal don't feel, don't let them know._


	2. Aptitude Test (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The entirety of this story (excluding the prologue which is in third person) will be in Elsa's POV unless otherwise stated. Also, this fanfic may not follow the events of Divergent in verbatim, but I will make sure to make the events in this fic closer to what is in Divergent in order to come up with a good AU fic. Lastly, I am still seeking permission from jipzuru on Tumblr so that I can use her Jelsa Divergent!AU fan art as the cover of this fic. I hope you guys will like this! :D

I'm Elsa Arendalle from the Abnegation faction of Chicago. Our society is divided into five factions. The Amity who are known for being peaceful, the Erudite, who are known for their intelligence, the Dauntless, a faction known for their bravery and the Candor, the faction that values honesty. My faction, Abnegation, values selflessness and because of our selflessness, people of our faction were chosen to lead the city and my father, Akthar, is one of the members of the city council. Our faction is also responsible for the welfare of the factionless, or those who do not belong to any of the five factions. Also, our faction has a lot of customs, like how we're not allowed to face mirrors unless it's on the second day of every third month for a haircut.

My sister, Anna, seems to act like the perfect Abnegation, helping other people along the way. In fact, my parents remark a lot about how "I should be more like Anna". Maybe I'm not yet getting there, or maybe, I'm not fit to stay in Abnegation at all. Speaking of probably leaving the faction, today is our Aptitude Test. What we are told regarding the Aptitude Test is that there's no need for us to study, besides, we were never told on what would come out during the test, or how the test itself is supposed to be administered. 

I sit right now on a stool chair facing the mirror because it coincidentially is the second day of every third month as well.

"So Elsa, how are you doing." Mother asks me as she trims my hair

"I'm doing great." I tell my mother

"Are you ready for your aptitude test?" She asks me

"I guess I am." I say with half the confidence

"You can do it Elsa. I know you can." Mother reassures me as she puts my hair into a bun, "There, all done!" she added

I look at the mirror and I see my own reflection. A face that is somehow doubtful on how well she would do today. Will my results be ever in my favor. I would never know. But surely, I am likely to stay in Abnegation, especially that my parents expect me to. Right now, I really do not know if I should stay or I should go. 

After we eat breakfast as a family, which is of course, a rule here in Abnegation, I walked outside and joined with the other Abnegation members of my age who are also on their way to the Aptitude Test at the hub, but before that, I climbed up to our house's rooftop and got myself some fresh air. I've always wanted to try clmibing like the Dauntless but my family frowns upon it because they see the Dauntless as selfish people. 

But really though, I sometimes wonder what it feels like to be carefree like they do. 

And maybe in due time, I'll find out whether I'll have the chance to be one of them.

As soon as I take my Aptitude Test, that is.


	3. Aptitude Test (Part 2)

We are now on our way to the hub where our Aptitude Test would be held. I am then joined by my cousin, Rapunzel and her boyfriend of two years, Eugene. I never really get what's with the entire falling in love as teenagers thing. I mean it's not that it's banned in Abnegation but that's such a rarity in Abnegation that Rapunzel and Eugene had to keep it as a secret, especially because Rapunzel's parents are part of the council as well and it would come off as a bad record if they found out what Rapunzel has been up to with another Abnegation member. 

"So, Elsa, are you excited for the Aptitude Test?" Rapunzel asks me in a cheerful tone. Cheerful enough that I would take a guess that her aptitude results would put her in Amity even before she can finish the test.

"W-well yes, of course I am." I told her, feeling a little bit nervous about this entire aptitude test thing because I'm not yet sure about leaving or staying in the faction, "Who else isn't, anyway?"

"Well, I hope they give me Dauntless." Eugene tells us, "I've been dying to leave Abnegation ever since I learned how to walk."

"We all know that Eugene." I tell him, "Remember that time in grade school when the teacher scolded you for climbing on the lockers, or that time you got into a fight with a Dauntless?"

"Hey, I don't really regret them." Eugene tells me, giving out a small laugh afterwards, "Even though mother and father had reprimanded me so many times for it. There's this saying,  _You Only Live Once_."

"Don't be so reckless, Eugene." Rapunzel tells her boyfriend, "I definitely know you know better than to put yourself in the most reckless situation ever concocted by mankind. Even the Dauntless initiates don't just step out and jump off of high places."

"Relax, Punzie." Eugene said, "Of course I won't run around causing reckless mayhem. You know, I'm just going to be carefree like the usual Dauntless people would. That's it."

"And don't call me Punzie." Rapunzel told him, "Nicknames are for the Dauntless."

"And I'm about to become one soon." Eugene added

"Guys, we really should fall in line now." I told the two, "Unless you two want to become factionless."

With that, I, Rapunzel and Eugene made our way to the line formed by the Abnegation who will be taking the test. There were four other lines, one for the Amity, another for the Candor and a line for the Erudite which was just right beside theirs. A debate was going on between an Abnegation and an Erudite when we finally got into a line. I was pretty worked up at this point with the argument, how dare they accuse Abnegation of things that they have never done at all. All we wanted to do was help the factionless and now we're being accused of being selfish.

"And who gave you the right to call us--" before I could continue, Rapunzel and Eugene held me back

" _Conceal, don't feel_ , remember." Rapunzel said 

"Oh yeah, that..." I said out of defeat as I backed out from the small crowd that formed between the Abnegation and the Erudite who are arguing

"Cheer up, Elsa." Eugene told me, "Moments from now, our new factions will be determined. Who knows, that Erudite kid might just end up having the aptitude for Abnegation. Now that would suck for him."

"Or maybe he'll end up staying in his own faction. And we'll end up being the same as well." I told Eugene. Really, his cheering up isn't helping that much.

A few moments later, we head into the testing rooms in order to take the aptitude test and the room where I was assigned to had mirrors covering the wall, maybe the same is true for all the other rooms. Then at the center, there was a chair that looked like those from the dentist's office and a woman wearing black and covered in tattoos sat beside that chair, facing back. 

"Sit down." the woman instructed me. I followed and took a seat on the chair

"What are you going to do?" I asked as she poured a blue liquid into a cup. I am new to these kinds of things and I don't know what would happen next if I tried drinking from the cup the lady was pouring the blue liquid into.

"I'm here to administer your aptitude test." The woman said in a rather expressionless way, "Drink this." she added, giving me the cup where she poured the blue liquid earlier on.

"And what's going to happen next?" 

"After you drink that, you'll have to lean back because I'll be putting on some electrodes on your head. Don't worry, the process is painless."

"Okay..." I say as I drink the blue liquid, leaning back on the chair afterwards as the lady instructed. She then attaches the electrodes and tells me to be brave. I closed my eyes, hoping that it will lessen any effect that the liquid might have on me.

But I was wrong...

When I opened my eyes, I was still in the same room, except that the lady was gone, and so was the monitors she was operating earlier on. I stand up and walk around and I see myself in the mirrors. Like what I said before, I was never used to looking at mirrors because for most part, my faction highly discourages it save for hair cutting day. Suddenly, I hear a voice...

"Choose."

And right in front of me now is a table with a knife and cheese. I wonder why I have to choose between them.

"Choose."

I still don't get the point why I'm being asked to choose between a knife and cheese. I don't have the slightest idea about how either of them could help me with the aptitude test.

"And if I don't?" I tell the voice

"Choose." it still said

Whatever the voice was saying, I chose to ignore it and it actually worked. The table disappeared and instead, a dog showed up. A dog that seemed to be rabid. I've learned from class that a dog is less likely to attack you if you remained calm because dogs can sense when your tense since your body would emit pheromones that would trigger the dog to attack you. So I stay calm and eventually, the dog acted calm as well. The next thing that showed up is a little girl and she seemed scared, triggering the dog to go back to agression mode. At this point, I was now confused between getting myself in the way of the girl so that the dog wouldn't attack her or to just stand there. The dog went even closer to the girl and without any hesitation, I grabbed the girl out of the way as the dog went straight to us. And before I even knew it, I found myself still crouching, but the girl is no longer around and now I am in a bus. While finding a seat, someone suddenly grabbed my shoulder...

"Do you know this person?" the person said as he pointed to a picture in the newspaper. A picture which bore a familiar face. I just couldn't put it on who is in the picture. And this person I'm speaking to had a burnt face, possibly the person in the picture must have done it to him. But still, I had doubts on what to tell the man, because he sounded suspicious as well. If I told him something, he might just think I'm an accomplice to the person in the picture he pointed and something bad might actually happen.

"I-I'm sorry, I do not think I know that person." I tell the person.

"You have to help me. This person burnt my face!" the person spoke, pointing to the picture again

"I'm really sorry sir but I do not know who that person is." I spoke. Suddenly, the person has changed faces. It turned out that the burnt face he had was a mask. This even gave me more suspicion.

"Care to tell me who the person in the picture is?" the person spoke again

"No. I don't know who that person is." I speak

Suddenly, I find myself back in the room where my aptitude test was being administered. I found myself lying down on the chair. I found the test administrator sitting beside me.

 "Elsa, the test didn't work on you." the test administrator spoke

"What did you mean by the test  _did not_  work on me? We were supposed to trust the test!" I spoke as I bolted up from the chair

"Your test results are inconclusive...they call it  _Divergent_."

The moment I heard the words "the test didn't work on you" and "your test results are inconclusive", I could not help but sink into silence, and into fear.  _How could the test not work on me?_ , I thought to herself. From what I have known based on what I have heard from previous choosing ceremonies, everyone had a faction to go into, and from what  I have learned in her classes on General Faction Education, it stated that the aptitude test would tell you which faction you would belong into, but it never says that there's a chance it will never work on you.

"And you cannot tell anyone about your results, not even your family. Tell your parents I sent you home because the aptitude test made you sick."

I was left speechless shortly after the test administrator spoke to me. No one knows what the implications of being a Divergent is and no one is even aware with the existence of Divergence. 

"The only thing I can suggest you is that you hide in a new faction tomorrow on Choosing Day. Use the option of being able to choose your own faction even if it's not on your results as an advantage. They don't ask you if it's your result or not, they assume for most part."

Better. I was feeling better now. Slightly better to be exact. At least I'll be able to conceal my Divergence partly with the fact that she can _actually_  pick factions at my own will. But  I still feel a bit of fear with the aftermath the moment people find out that I'm Divergent.

_Conceal don't feel, don't let them know._


	4. Concealment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So hello everyone! First of all, I apologize for the late update since I've been busy with college lately and I might not be able to update often also because of that but I hope you guys will understand. Anyway, here's the third chapter and I really hope you guys will enjoy this!

con·ceal·ment

_noun_

the action of hiding something or preventing it from being known.

* * *

It's been a few hours since the Aptitude Test ended and for some reason, I still can't seem to sink in the fact that I'm a Divergent. Let alone the fact that such result actually exists. Of course I kept the results a secret even though Eugene and Rapunzel tried to get me to spill the beans. Eugene got Dauntless and Rapunzel got Amity. For sure, the three of us might just leave Abnegation. Well actually, make that two out of three because again, I am not sure about leaving or staying the faction especially after I got the result of Divergent and even after the test administrator said that it is highly suggested that I should change factions. 

"Elsa, what faction did you get into?" Anna asks as she prepares the frozen chicken for dinner

"The test administrator told us to keep it a secret to you guys. You'll see tomorrow." I told her. 

"Well, Rapunzel and Eugene told me their factions, you should too!" Anna spoke, "Or are you guys not supposed to?"

"We are not supposed to." I lied. Actually, we were supposed to, but in my case, it's highly recommended to keep it as disclosed information.

"Alright, we'll see then by tomorrow!" Anna said as she continued to prepare for our dinner

The more people ask me about the aptitude test results, the more I tend to shut myself away. I just don't know what would happen if people found out I was Divergent. It's not exactly a crime for an Abnegation to lie but we are discouraged from doing so because it's a selfish act. If I were in Candor right now, it would be a lot worse. People would find out I was Divergent before the clock strikes midnight and by morning, I just don't know what would happen to me.

I just hope they don't have any suspicions as to why I'm not revealing my faction to anyone yet. I want them to know tomorrow. That way, things would be safer.

Then came dinner time and we were gathered around the table, father said the prayers. You see, it's a tradition in Abnegation to say your prayers before your meals. We do this to thank the God above for the food he has given us everyday. Although there are some Abnegation members who are not that religious but majority of us still are.

Anyway, from there, we start eating and Father starts talking about how things have gone tough lately between Jeanine, the leader of Erudite and Marcus, our faction's leader. That's the situation that led those Erudites at the aptitude test line to debate with people from my faction and that has been going on for over a year and no one has found a solution for it yet. Well, you can't blame really Abnegation for not being agressive, it's only going to make things worse, that's for our perspective, at least.

Things were usual over the dinner table until...

"Elsa, how was your aptitude test?" 

Yes, that question. This is the fourth time I've received that question. First it was from Rapunzel and Eugene, then from Anna, and now from my mother. This is exactly what I meant by I'm thinking of shutting myself out for the moment. That question. There's no way I'm going to risk telling them my faction. Sure, that's my mother, they're my parents, they're my family but the fact that the test administrator really told me not to disclose my results to anyone means that it doesn't matter if your family is the one who will find out because something is definitely going to happen if people found out through them by accident about my results.

"It went well..." I said with a forced smile, making sure that how I'm actually feeling wasn't made obvious

"That's good to hear, Elsa!" Mother says with enthusiasm as she takes a bite from the chicken

"We shall be expecting you to have dinner with us tomorrow, then." Father added

Yes, they were really expecting me to be in Abnegation but truth to be told, I doubt ever staying in this faction. Not entirely because of the fact that the test administrator told me that switching factions would do me good but rather, I've always had this idea of how it feels like to be in another faction instead. Maybe I'll be at Erudite tomorrow, or maybe Dauntless. 

Only tomorrow knows where I'm going.


	5. Choosing Ceremony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: As you guys may have noticed, I have not updated the fanfiction for over the year due to real life commitments that happened the past year. Now that I'm a bit free from those commitments, I'm back to working on this fic. Hopefully, I'll get halfway into this fic before 2015 ends. Thank you to those who stuck around even if I had not been updating constantly.

  
Today is the Choosing Ceremony - the day that we were to make our choice whether to stay in our faction or go to a different faction. Like what the lady who administered my aptitude test told me, we don't really have to follow the faction that the aptitude test suggests us and because I'm Divergent and I have to conceal such status of mine, I can use the "not having to follow the aptitude test's suggestion" thing as an advantage when I pick my faction today.

Mother and Father as well as Anna accompanied me to The Hub for the Choosing Ceremony. It was always a tradition for a sixteen-year old to be accompanied by their family on Choosing Ceremony day. I can already feel that my family, and my Father in particular, wanted me to be with Abnegation. The thing is, a part of me wants to leave Abnegation and set off for another faction but I don't know where?

In  _Erudite_ where intelligence is valued and honed?

In  _Dauntless_ where bravery is brought out from each of every one?

In  _Candor_ where honesty is important above all?

In  _Amity_ where people live in bliss?

When we entered The Hub, we headed to the seats assigned to our faction (and my faction until this day ends) and as I observed everything going on - the Dauntless were chanting loudly, the Erudite were trying to stop themselves from snapping off from the loudness of the Dauntless, the Candor being straightforward about their thoughts of Dauntless and Erudite seemingly trying to piss off each other and there was Amity, the faction whose members happily chattered about without caring if the Dauntless were to call them weak for their happiness, if the Erudite were to call them dumb for not acting in a "civilized" manner as they say, if the Candor would victimize them with their straightforward remarks.

And then here was Abnegation - my faction, talking about extending their generosity to the new members of the faction. And unlike the other factions, we seemed to be the only ones who knew how to lower our voices down (other than Erudite) when talking in a public setting that wasn't in our own faction's area. 

This year, the Erudite faction hosted the Choosing Ceremony and because of that, their leader was the one who had to give the speech and call out people to choose their factions. What happens is that the leader of the host faction calls out our names alphabetically and then we must come up in front and we are handed the ceremonial knife which we use to cut an opening in our hand and then we must let our blood drip in the bowl that represents the faction of our choice: a bowl with grey stones for Abnegation, a bowl of water for Erudite, a bowl of soil for Amity, a bowl of hot coals for Dauntless and a bowl of glass for Candor.

"Arendelle, Elsa"

I slowly stood up from my seat and walked down to the stage where the five bowls were set with my hands shaking. I was then handed over the ceremonial knife and directed towards the bowls. I only had a short amount of time to choose my faction before they'd move on to calling the next person. 

It took me quite a long time to decide whether I'd stay in Abnegation or go to another faction. If I stayed in Abnegation, I'd be subjected to live the life I've known since birth for the rest of my life...not much of an effort, right? All I have to do is just apply what I learned as a child about my faction on the initiation then surely I'll remain in the faction. 

If I stayed with another faction, I would have to start all over again. Sure, school taught us about the lives of the different factions but having to start life all over again in a different faction is beyond that. 

But I felt even as a child that a part of me does not really fit the mold of an Abnegation. Sometimes, I'd find myself climbing on high structures in the faction, only to be told off by my father when he catches me doing so. Sometimes, I run around and make huge leaps but those are things frowned upon on an Abnegation.

There are days when I'd wonder how it feels to be like those kids who would jump off of trains every morning when they head to school. I've always wanted to know how it feels to be as free as them. 

In a way, those Dauntless kids got lucky that no one tells them off for being free-spirited, which is a concept that doesn't really exist among the Abnegation.

So, I placed my hand over the bowl that had the hot coals on it and made a small opening on my hand - letting the blood drip into the bowl. In that moment, I was officially a Dauntless initiate and now, I had to walk down to where the Dauntless were seated. 

There was loud cheering from them, as if they warmly welcomed me to be one of them. A part of me had waited for them to call me a "stiff" as soon as they realized that they just welcomed an Abnegation to be a part of them. Because that's what the Dauntless call us, "stiffs". We're not just the only faction that has some sort of a special nickname from them - the Erudites get called "know-it-alls", the Candor "smart-mouths", the Amity being the "Banjo Strumming Softies".

"Well Elsa, welcome to your new faction. It's all or nothing now!"


End file.
